Exploring potential correlations between fungal community succession and changes in total purines during Huangjiu fermentation

Abstract

As a vital microorganism during Huangjiu fermentation, fungi have not been thoroughly evaluated for their potential relationship with total purine levels in Huangjiu, which is a major contributing factor to hyperuricemia (HUA) and gout. In this study, we revealed the correlation between the succession of fungal communities and total purine content during Huangjiu fermentation. Our results demonstrated a continuous increase in total purine content during fermentation, rising from 13.08 to 72.12 mg/L. We observed significant dynamic changes in fungal community composition and diversity throughout the fermentation process, with the highest fungal species richness occurring on the third day. At the phylum level, Ascomycota dominated throughout fermentation (92.5–97.4%). At the genus level, the predominant taxa were Aspergillus (42.5–73.5%), Saccharomyces (0.0–41.1%), and Paecilomyces (0.0–16.9%), with Aspergillus dominating during the initial phase (0–3 days) and Saccharomyces becoming predominant in later stages (6–18 days). Correlation analysis revealed that Saccharomyces cerevisiae showed a strong positive correlation with total purine levels (r = 0.73), while Aspergillus intermedius (r = − 0.79) and Aspergillus flavus (r = − 0.70) exhibited significant negative correlations. Furthermore, we identified that predominant fungal genera participate in purine metabolism. This study enhances our scientific understanding of purine formation mechanisms in Huangjiu and provides a foundation for developing targeted strategies to regulate purine content in future industrial production.

Keywords

Huangjiu / Fungal communities / Purine / Correlation analysis / Biological Sciences / Microbiology

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Funding

the Key Project of Research and Development Plan of Ningxia(2020BFH02005)

the Program of Introducing Talents of Discipline to Universities(111-2-06)

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

Jiangnan University